When I was a young child I remember riding the school bus and being terribly afraid of the high school kids that sat in the back. One time an older boy was hit and teased all the way to the front of the bus. I remember seeing blood, not sure where but it was there just the same. This is my first memory of someone being hurt by others. I don't remember why he was being hurt, and I don't remember him ever riding the bus again. I just remember being afraid of something like that happening to me.
I wonder what happened on that bus that made me comfortable as a passenger after that. Did we get rid of the bullies, did we get a stricter bus driver, did the absence of that one particular boy make the others calm down and act like decent kids? I don't remember. All I know is I can see that boy as clearly today as I did all those years ago. Bullying does touch everyone, not just the child being bullied.
I read an interesting blog today on ELLs and Bullying and it made me think back to my teaching days. Did I ever allow this bad behavior to exist in my classroom? Did I ever make sure that my ELLs were free of bullying at recess or on the way to and from school? Or was I just clueless, thinking that nothing terrible like this ever happens in my school.
Take a few minutes to read this blog and see what memories come back to you. Think about what you see everyday around you. There's 8 really helpful hints that I hope you will take to heart and use.
http://blog.languagelizard.com/2011/09/19/protecting-ells-against-bullying/
I wish I could go back to that school bus and watch that scenario again. Put it into slow motion, rewind to before that boy tried to get off the bus. Rewind it to a point that something could be changed.
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